Lesson 1, Topic 1
In Progress

Leader

Reflect on your own personal devotional life as it relates to the course content and the interaction with the other participants in this module. First, pray and ask God to guide you in developing a plan that will enhance your devotional life. Think about what factors might prevent you from having the kind of devotional life that you desire on a daily basis. Download the Leader’s Devotional Life Journal Entry Form. Compose a journal entry that addresses all of the following:

  • Discuss your strengths and weaknesses in areas such as praise/worship, confession, thanksgiving, intercession, supplication, Bible study, meditation, memorization, journaling, solitude and silence, fasting, corporate worship, service, small group Bible study and family/couple devotions. Include personal accounts and provide reasons or examples to support your conclusions.
  • Develop a plan that will promote your development as a Christian leader.
    • Review The Essential Guide to Writing SMART Goals as needed.
    • Establish one strategic goal that meets the smart goal criteria. The goal should be able to be accomplished during the next year, and it should promote your development as a Christian leader in an area that you identified as a weakness in your entry. (Note: Be sure to write your goal in one sentence and that all the SMART criteria are met in that one sentence. Example: I am going to read one book a month on children and/or family ministry over the next 12 months and take notes to develop a vision and framework for our children’s ministry.)
    • Explain how this goal will be achieved by identifying key measurable activities that will help you become more effective in this area. (Questions that you might want to ask yourself are: What Scripture will you study or memorize? Where and when will you practice solitude and silence and for how long? What small group will you join? What tools will you use to aid you? When will you fast and for how long?)
    • Describe how you will know that you have made progress toward your goal and how you will know when you have achieved it.
    • Include reasons why you selected this goal.
    • Describe how the development of this leadership area will benefit you and your ministry in the future. Be specific.

Be sure to refer to the journal rubric before composing and submitting your entry. Provide substantial interaction between your thoughts and the course content. Referencing course content and/or other resources is required. (Minimum – three references) Use the CMI citation guide – found in the Course Planning Documents section of the course – to properly cite your sources.

This journal entry should be 600 -800 words. Careful reflection upon and construction of this journal article will help you as you meet with your mentor and develop your Personal Leadership Development Plan.

Once you have completed your journal entry form, save it on your computer and submit it using the Assignments block below. This needs to be submitted by Monday at 11:55 PM Central Time.